1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a method of press-connecting a multicore flat cable and an electric connector for a multicore flat cable, and more particularly to such a press-connecting method and such an electric connector suitable for a high density multicore cable.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In recent electronic equipment, reductions in weight, thickness, length and size have been promoted, and high density packaging has been needed therefor. Accordingly, a miniaturized electric connector in which contacts are arrayed at the highest possible density has been required as an electric connector for use in the electronic equipment, and a multicore flat cable or the like in which a large number of core wires are arrayed at high density has been required as a cable to be used. In order to meet such requirements, there has hitherto been developed a high density multicore flat cable in which core wires are arrayed at a density higher than that in a conventional multicore flat cable wherein core wires are arrayed at a pitch of 1.27 mm. An example thereof is a multicore flat cable in which core wires are arrayed at a pitch of 0.635 mm. As a connector for connecting such microminiaturized multicore flat cable at the pitch of 0.635 mm, there has been developed, for example, a press-connecting type electric connector for a multicore flat cable as disclosed in the Official Gazette of Japanese patent application Pulication No. 57-53629. The press-connecting type electric connector for a multicore flat cable is such that a plurality of press-connecting type contacts are arrayed in an insulating housing as two zigzag arrays, and that the arrayal pitches of all the contacts of the two arrays are previously equalized to the core wire arrayal pitch of the multicore flat cable to be connected, whereupon individual core wires at the end part of the multicore flat cable as are left intact are press-connected to the press-connecting portions of these contacts.
The prior-art press-connecting type electric connector for a multicore flat cable as stated before is effective in that the size of the press-connecting portion of each contact can be made comparatively large because, even when the arrayal pitch of the core wires of the multicore flat cable to be connected is 0.635 mm by way of example, the arrayal pitch of the contacts of the respective arrays arranged in the insulating housing may be double or 1.27 mm. With such structure of the prior-art electric connector, however, the arrayal pitch itself of the core wires of the multicore flat cable to be connected cannot be freely changed. For example, the contacts of the electric connector at an arrayal pitch of 1.27 mm must be ordinarily press-connected to the respective core wires arrayed at the same pitch of 1.27 mm, and those at an arrayal pitch of 0.635 mm must be ordinarily press-connected to the respective core wires arrayed at the same pitch of 0.635 mm. Accordingly, problems such as erroneous connection will be prone to occur unless the machining precision of the contacts themselves, the precision of the arrayal pitch of the contacts and the precision of the core wire arrayal pitch of the flat cable are rendered higher for the high density multicore flat cable of smaller core wire arrayal pitch. Moreover, raising these precisions is subjected to mechanical limitations, and in case of connecting a multicore flat cable of higher density, the pitch between the contacts and the pitch between the core wires of the cable are very small and the core wires are fine. Therefore, inferior connecting or an unstable connection has been caused by a slight pitch discrepancy of the press-connecting, to inevitably spoil the mass-producibility and the reliability.
An object of the present invention is to provied a method of press-connecting a multicore flat cable and an electric connector for a multicore flat cable which can eliminate the problems of the prior art as described above.